You're reading: Zhebrivsky says some 60 percent of schools in Donetsk region Ukrainian-language only

In the Donetsk region controlled by Ukraine, 325 schools provide training only in the Ukrainian language, and 21 hub schools with Ukrainian language of training will have been created and modernly equipped by the end of the current academic year, Head of Donetsk Regional Military-Civilian Administration Pavlo Zhebrivsky wrote on his Facebook page on Sept. 19.

“Probably, Putin could not imagine in his nightmare the scale of returning to Ukrainian roots in Donetsk region after his “Russian spring.” In the Donetsk region, on the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities, 325 schools provide training in Ukrainian language only. This is almost 60 percent of schools,” the statement says.

Zhebrivsky sees his job in assisting “this process.”

“After the administrative reform, each newly formed merged community will have such a well-equipped Ukrainian hub school. For the language is not only a cultural phenomenon for us today, it is also the phenomenon of security,” he said.

In addition, according to the head of Donetsk Regional Military-Civilian Administration, in the Donetsk region, 1000 first-graders more, in comparison with the previous year, went to the schools with the Ukrainian language of training this year. The Kostiantynivska gymnasium has also changed the instruction language from Russian into Ukrainian.